Experimental Investigation of White Layer Formation on Machining Silicon Steel in PMEDM Process

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ORIGINAL PAPER

Experimental Investigation of White Layer Formation on Machining Silicon Steel in PMEDM Process T. Muthuramalingam 1

&

Nguyen Huu Phan 2

Received: 23 August 2020 / Accepted: 25 September 2020 # Springer Nature B.V. 2020

Abstract The silicon steel can be easily machined using electrical discharge machining process due to its higher strength. Since the white layer thickness and propoerties can affect the surface performance measures in the process, it is important to investigate the effects of process parameters on white layer. In the present study, an experimental investigation was made to analyze the effects of process parameters on white layer formation while machining silicon steel using powder mixed dielectric medium in such process. It was inferred that powder mixed insulating medium could produce lower thickness of white layer with the uniform distribution over the machined surface owing to the higher thermal and electrical conductivity of the powder particles. The lower micro cracks were observed in the white layer region in electrical discharge machining process with powder mixed dielectric medium. Keywords Silicon steel . EDM . Powders . Recast . Surface

1 Introduction Silicon steel is widely utilized in electrical appliances and dies in manufacturing industries owing to its distinct physical properties. Since the silicon steel has considerable higher strength, it can be easily machined by unconventional machining process such as electrical discharge machining (EDM) process [1]. This machining process utilizes the electrical sparks assisted thermal energy to melt and vaporise the material during the material removal. The melted material is deposited over the machined materials by the resolidification using the flushing process as white layer (or) recast layer in EDM process. Due to the importance of white layer thicnkess (AWLT) on determining surface hardness of the material, it

* T. Muthuramalingam [email protected] * Nguyen Huu Phan [email protected] 1

Department of Mechatronics Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur -603203, Kanchipuram, Chennai, TN, India

2

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Hanoi University of Industry, Hanoi, Vietnam

has to be analyzed effectively during the machining process. The white layer thickness can considerably contribute the surface hardness of the machined specimens. The layer thickness can be controlled by changing the dielectric medium in EDM process [2]. The application of ultrasonics in EDM process enhances the process mechanism by reducing the white layer thickness [3]. However the distribution of the layer should be more uniform by adopting the suitable mechanism in such machining process. The mechanism of the machining process can be enhanced by including the electrical conductive powders in the dielectric medium owing to the modification of electrical conductivity of plasma column [4]. The distribution of the particles could be distributed uniformly by incorporating the magnetic stirrer in the proc